Series: Haggai: Consider Your Ways
Text: Haggai 2:20-23

God's reign is seen in two promised events:

1. The judgment of the nations
2. The triumph of the Messiah.

Reasons for our hope in God's reign:

1. Because our God is the Lord of Hosts
2. Because our God is faithful to his covenant promises
3. Because the gospel is the power of God
4. Because Christ is King

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. ~ Haggai 1:5

Series: Haggai: Consider Your Ways
Text: Haggai 2:10-19

The Hope of Holiness

One: Holiness doesn't just happen.

Two: Sin never ultimately satisfies.

Three: Mercy makes for new beginnings.

Four: Grace gives blessing for nothing.

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. ~ Haggai 1:5

Series: Haggai: Consider Your Ways
Text: Haggai 2:1-9

Finding Your Significance in God's Plan

Discouragement: A longing for obvious significance.

Encouragement: An understanding of present significance.

• God's presence with us
• God's purpose for us
  • Be strong
  • Work
  • Fear not

Encouragement: A hope in future significance.

• God will receive glory through Christ in the church.

Conclusions:

• Don't search for significance in shallow comparisons.
• Invest in God's agenda.
• Rest in the victory that will be fully revealed.

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. ~ Haggai 1:5

Series: Consider Your Ways
Text: Haggai 1:1-15

What does it look like to consider our ways?

One: Stop trying to justify your apathy.

Two: Examine closely the evidence of your priorities.

Three: Recognize the cause of your dissatisfaction.

Four: Take practical steps of worshipful obedience.

Four: Renew your mind with what God says.

Six: Yield to the Spirit's leading to do kingdom work.

Series: Haggai: Consider Your Ways
Text: Haggai

All Scripture is Profitable.

The Role of the Prophet: to reveal God's truth to the people by the Spirit.

Two Challenges:

1. Prophetic fog - intentional ambiguity; we don't get all the details
2. Prophetic form - the use of figurative language and a sense of imminence

The Big Question: What did the prophets say that stirred these people to do God's work?

The Theme of Haggai: Consider your ways!

Lessons for us:

• Trust God's control.
• Receive God's grace.
• Believe God's word.

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. ~ Haggai 1:5

Series: Beginning with Moses: Bible Overview 4 of 4
Text: Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

The New Testament

One: The Gospels: the introduction to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Two: The Acts: the proclamation of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Three: The Letters: the explanation of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Four: Revelation: the consummation of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

• The Old Testament is the preparation for a person.
• The New Testament is the manifestation of that person.
• The whole Bible is the revelation of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20

Series: Beginning with Moses: Bible Overview 3 of 4
Text: Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

The Books of the Prophecy

One: The Content of the Books of Prophecy.

• Preaching
• Predictions

Two: The Issue of the Books of Prophecy.

• The issue is loyalty.

Three: The Function of the Books of Prophecy

• To prepare us for a perfect Prophet with a perfect message.

Conclusion: The Old Testament is unsatisfying.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20

Series: Beginning with Moses: Bible Overview 2 of 4
Text: Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

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The Books of History

One: The Content of the Books of History

• Hope
• Disappointment

Two: The Issue of the Books of History

• The issue is Leadership

Three: The Function of the Books of History

• To prepare us for a perfect King with a perfect kingdom.

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The Books of Poetry
(Wisdom Literature)

One: The Content of the Books of Poetry

• Psalms = the will of the perfect Leader
• Proverbs = the wisdom of the perfect Leader
• Ecclesiastes = the values of the perfect Leader
• Song of Solomon = the heart of the perfect Leader

Two: The Issue of the Books of Poetry

• The issue is character

Three: The Function of the Books of Poetry

• To create a longing for the perfect Leader.

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For all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20

Series: Beginning with Moses: Bible Overview 1 of 4
Text: Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

The Books of the Law
(The Torah in Hebrew; the Pentateuch in Greek = 5 books)

One: The content of the Books of the Law

• Laws
• Sacrifices

Two: The issue of the Books of the Law

• The issue is holiness.
• God is holy, and man is sinful.

Three: The function of the Books of the Law

• To prepare us for a perfect Priest with a perfect sacrifice.
• To create a longing for a better covenant.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20

Theme: New beginnings give us hope for the New Year.

One: New beginnings are God's idea.

Two: God graciously offers us the continual hope of new beginnings.

1. New beginnings reflect the power and goodness of creation.
2. New beginnings in this life are not without groanings.
3. New beginnings are possible because of God's promises.
4. New beginnings unfold the gospel of a new creation.
5. New beginnings sustain our daily endurance.
6. New beginnings shape our future hope.

The steadfast lof of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:22-23

Series: Finding Joy in the Nativity
Text: Luke 1-2
Theme: You must find joy in knowing the Savior.

Jesus is the joy!

Why do we need to be reminded that Jesus is the joy?

One: At times we want the material blessings from Jesus more than we want Jesus.

Two: At times we ask lesser things than Jesus to satisfy our craving for joy.

Three: At times we settle for partial joys of lesser things.

Four: Lest we send a mixed message about the Good News of great joy for all people.

Five: At times we think that Jesus leads to joy.

Series: Finding Joy in the Nativity
Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Theme: You should find joy in believing God's words.

One: What makes it hard to believe God's words?

Two: What does it mean to believe God's words?

• Know God's words.
• Count God's words as true.
• Be affected by God's words.

Three: What were the words to be believed?

• A successful Savior.
• A triumphant kingdom.

call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. ~ Matthew 1:21

Series: Finding Joy in the Nativity
Text: Luke 2:8-20
Theme: You should find joy in sharing your hope.

One: Hear the good news.

• A divine appointment in everyday life.
• True joy for those who need it.

Two: Believe the good news.

Three: Share the good news.

• a hint of the sharing – v.10 – for all the people
• a definition of the sharing – v.17 – they made known

Four: Rejoice in the good news.

They made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ~ Luke 2:17

Series: Finding Joy in the Nativity
Text: Luke 1 & 2, Matthew 1 & 2
Theme: You should find joy in serving the King.

What do the angelic appearances of the advent teach us about serving the King?

One: Serving means doing God's will.

Two: Serving means sharing God's truth.

Three: Serving meanas hoping in God's gospel.

I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ~ Luke 1:19

Series: Finding Joy in the Nativity
Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Theme: You should find joy in pursuing truth.

God has revealed truth.

• ...which is opposed by lies.
• ...which is for all people.
• ...which is traced throughout the bible.

Grace enables our pursuit of truth.

• We see both the star of God's leading. and...
• ...the journey of the Magi's following.

In our pursuit of truth, God will be glorified and we will find joy.

...they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy...and they fell down and worshiped him. ~ Matthew 2:10-11

Series: Growing Grace
Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-3
Theme: As a disciple, I must commit to thanksgiving

Big Idea: When God makes his presence known, His people respond in worship, giving thanks for His goodness and steadfast love.

It is true in the Old Testament shadow.

It is true in the New testament fulfilment.

It should be true in our present obedience.

• Give thanks to Him.
• Bless His name.

...for the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever... ~ Psalm 100:5

Series: Growing Grace
Text: Matthew 4:17-25
Theme: As a disciple, I must commit to discipleship — to following Jesus as Lord.

What does it mean to "follow" Jesus?

One: A foundation of repentance.

Two: A restructuring of priorities.

Three: A fellowship of followers.

Four: An intake of teaching.

Five: A hope of goodness.

Six: An understanding of authority.

...and Jesus said to them, "Follow me"... ~ Matthew 4:19

Series: Growing Grace
Text: Luke 10:1-20
Theme: As a disciple, I must commit to sharing the good news.

There is Joy in Sharing the Good News

One: The joy of my kingdom purpose.

Two: The joy of my announcing the good new.

Three: The joy of my sharing in Christ's rejection.

Four: The joy of my fresh experience of faith.

Five: The joy of my encounter with other believers.

Six: The joy of my experience of power.

Seven: The joy of my eternal security.

...the Lord sent them...they returned with joy... ~ Luke 10:1,17

Series: Growing Grace
Text: 2 Kings 22:1-23:25
Theme: As a disciple, I must commit to know and do what the Bible says.

One: Could it be that the people of God would willfully neglect the Word of God?

Two: Could it be that hearing the Word of God would awaken our hunger for it?

Three: Could it be that the Word of God would guide us into faithful obedience?

Four: Could it be that the Word of God needs a more prominent place in your life?

And he made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. ~ 2 Kings 23:3

Series: Growing Grace
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16
Theme: As a disciple, I must commit to serving the church.

7 Reasons to Serve the Church

One: To display God's glory. 3:20-21

Two: To reflect your calling. 4:1-2

Three: To maintain unity. 4:3-6

Four: To steward God's grace. 4:7

Five: To foster growth. 4:12

Six: To promote truth. 4:15

Seven: To exalt Christ. 4:13, 15

...when each part is working properly, the body grows... ~ Ephesians 4:16